Treating apparatus for fruit and vegetable articles



May 23, 1961 R. M. MAGNUSON 2, 85,

TREATING APPARATUS FOR FRUIT AND VEGETABLE ARTICLES Filed Jan. 20, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 f/GL/ INVENTOR. GENEVIEVE l. MAGNUSON EXECUTRIX OF THE ESTATE OF ROY M. MAGNUSON, DECEASED 8V OLMM A TTORNEYS May 23, 1961 R. M. MAGNUSON 2,985,210

TREATING APPARATUS FOR FRUIT AND VEGETABLE ARTICLES Filed Jan. 20, 1958 5 SheeEs-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. GENEVIEVE l. MAGNUSON EXECUTRIX OF THE ESTATE OF ROY M. MAGNUSON, DECEASED May 23, 1961 R. M. MAGNUSON TREATING APPARATUS FOR FRUIT AND VEGETABLE ARTICLES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan.

f/CL 8 INVENTOR. GENEVIEVE I. MAGNUSON EXECUTRIX OF THE ESTATE OF ROY M. MAGNUSON DECEASED United States Patent F TREATING APPARATUS FOR FRUIT AND VEGETABLE ARTICLES Roy M. Maguuson, deceased, late of 14467 Sobey Road, Saratoga, Califi, by Genevieve I. Magnuson, executrix, Saratoga, Calif, assignor of one-half to herself, and one-half to Genevieve I. Magnuson, Robert Magnuson, and Lois J. Fox, as trustees Filed Jan. 20, 1958, Ser. No. 710,082

Claims. (Cl. 146-46) The present invention is concerned with the peeling of fruit and vegetable articles, and relates more particularly to improved means for loosening and removing the skin in an advantageous and automatic manner without objectionable oxidizing, charn'ng or the like, and is concerned with an improvement in the type of equipment disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 374,- 752, filed August 17, 1953, now Patent No. 2,910,392.

This is a continuation in part of the co-pending application of Roy M. Magnuson, Serial No. 534,006, filed September 13, 1955 and now abandoned.

As disclosed in said application, the articles to be treated or peeled, such as tomatoes, are subjected to a high temperature gaseous treating medium traveling at a high velocity to effect both conditioning of the article for peel separation, and to effect actual peel removal.

In accordance with the instant invention, the above process as stated generally is carried out by improved equipment, to effect more eflicient operation, and to enable more economical manufacture. Also, certain additional desirable components are incorporated in the structure to provide an improved apparatus for carrying outthe method.

Accordingly, it is the general object of the instant invention to provide improved apparatus for treating articles and removing peel from articles with a high velocity, high temperature gaseous medium.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved peel removal means whereby the articles are first subjected to a high velocity, high temperature gaseous treating medium, and immediately transferred to a mechanical peel removal means, to act on the peel which has merely been loosened but not removed by the hot gaseous medium, this peel removal taking place while the articles are still in hot condition as they are discharged from the gaseous treating part of the apparatus.

Another object of the invention provides an improved apparatus including means for effecting conditioning of the peel of the article, and then mechanically grasping the peel andeffecting the stripping of the peel from the article.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the apparatus, the View being taken transversely through the direction of travel of the articles through the apparatus.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken longitudinally of the apparatus, i.e., in the direction of the travel of the articles, and at right angles to the view shown in Figure 1 as indicated by the line 22 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view through a portion of the drive of the apparatus, the view being taken as indicated by the line 33 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detailed enlarged sectional view taken as indicated by the line 4-4 in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the apparatus taken as indicated by the line 55 in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a portion of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a schematic sectional view similar to Figure 6, but showing a different operating condition of the parts.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7, showing a different operating condition of the parts, the peeling members being shown in grasping engagement with the peel of an article to effect removal thereof.

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figures 7 and 8, but showing a further step in the process of peel removal.

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figures 7, 8 and 9 showing a further step in the sequence of peel removal.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 5, the apparatus includes upon which an insulated housing 23 is mounted, and' within which housing the plenum chamber 13 is provided. This housing is L-sh-aped at its top, and extends to the right as seen in Figure 1 to provide a narrowed combustion chamber 24 in which the flame 26 from the burner 27 enters. Although any suitable form of burnercan be used, it is preferred to employ what is known as a short flame burner, and in which th'e face of the burner (Fig. 2) is provided with a plurality of holes or nozzles over its area to provide a similar plurality of short flames. The burner 27 is provided with gas and air by conventional means including a blower 28 for introducing air, and gas piping 29. Intermediate the combustion chamber 24 and plenum chamber 13, a plurality of arcu-ate baflles and gas-directing vanes 30 and 31 are mounted, extending transversely between opposite walls of the housing 23'.

At the corner turn forming the entrance to the plenum chamber 13 (Fig. 1) from the combustion chamber, the baflies 30 are spaced alternately with respect to baflles 31, and the baflies 30- have a longer vertical portion than the baffles 31 so as to influence the portion of the treating medium affected thereby for a longer interval and to provide a desired uniform distribution of the treating medium as it travels downwardly through the plenum chamber 13 and into the treating chamber 16. This insures a substantially uniform treatment. The gaseous medium is directed downwardly by the vanes 30 and 31' edges 33 of these walls, at the top of the treating cham-' ber 16.

Within the treating chamber 16 (Figs. 1 and 2) there is provided a series of article supporting and turning rolls 34 carried by an open-center reel 36, referred to in greater detail hereinafter, which travels counter-clockwise through the treating chamber 16. The treating medium impinges Patented May 23, 1961.

against and'passes over'the articles on the rolls and betweenthe rolls, and is directed downwardly through opposite discharge passages 37, formed by a downwardly opening U-shaped baffle 38, and an upwardly opening U-shaped insulated wall 39. The medium travels around the lower edges of this baffle 38 and then upwardly and transversely out of a passage 40 formed within the U- shaped bathe 38, to a discharge conduit 41forming: the intake to a blower rotor 42, from which a passage 43' leads upwardly to the combustion chamber 24. Within the conduit 41 therev is provided a butterfly valve or gate 47 carried by a shaft 46 having. an operating handle 48, for controllingthe fiowofmedium through the conduit 41.

As seen in Figures 1 and 2, there is provided an arcuate bafil'e or vane 45 at the top end of the passage 43 leading from the blower rotor 42. This bafile 45 overlaps the burner'll, and, as seen in Figure2, is cut out at a central portion to fit closely around this burner. This arcuate bathe-or vane 45 serves to direct the treating medium into the combustion chamber at a lower plane than would be trueiof itspath without this vane, so that the treating medium is dispersed substantially uniformly throughout the cross-sectional area of the combustion chamber 24 without undesirable concentration of the medium due toits right angle turn in passing from the passage 43 to the combustion chamber 24.

From the above description it will be seen that the gaseous treating and peeling medium travels at high velocity in a substantially closed path including a combustion chamber where it is heated to the desired temperature, and where the air is mixed with the combustion. gases, theamount of air being substantially that required to support combustion, without excess oxygen. Frornthe combustion chamber 24ittravels down into the plenum chamber 13, and is discharged into the treating chamber 16,. as shown in Figure 2, travelling substantially radially with respect to thereel 36, and the arc of rolls 34, and then downwardly to the discharge passages where it is subjected. to a washing action by steam jets from pipes 49 which serve to remove any peel from the treating medium. Water condensed from the steam is discharged from the wall 39 through an outlet 49a. Also pipes 35 provided immediately adjacent the upper ends of the U-shaped wall 39-can be employed to dribble feed water momentarily over these walls for cleaning purposes.

A. suitable motor 50 (Figure is provided to drive the blower rotor. 42,.through a suitable belt and pulleydrivemeans 51.

The. reel 36 (Figs. .1, 2 and 3) is of the open center, peripherally journalled type and includes two similar annular castings as side members 54.

Two side: members 54 of the reel, are connected by suitable. spacers 56' and are supported for rotation on suitable. trunnions 57 journaled on respective shafts 58 and 59.. Each of the reel members 54 is provided with an integral gear 61, as shown in Figure 3, and this gear mesheswitha-pinion 62. secured on each of the shafts 58 and. 59 respectively. The shaft 59 is driven through a sprocket 66 and a chain 67 from the variable drive motor 71,.having a control handle 72. From the shaft 58, a. sprocket and chaindrive 73 extends upwardly to'the drive shaft 74-0f a shuffiefeed mechanism 76 of the type shown anddescribed in the patent of Roy M. Magnuson and Ralph. K. Daugherty, Patent No. 2,792,929, dated May 21,. 1957, serving to feed the tomatoes or other food articlesin uniform fashion to the rolls '34 on the reel.

The rolls-.34 (Figures 3-and 4) are of extruded aluminum as. shown in detail in Figure 4, comprising alter? mate-rounded ribs 34a and valleys 34b. These rolls 34 are secured on shafts 81, journaled in suitable bosses 82, in" each reel member 54, and each shaft 82 carries a Pihiorr83 -engaging with a fixed ring. gear. 84 carried by theifrarne:22. In this way a counter-clockwise directional rotation: is: imparted to the rolls 34 as they: pass-through the. treating: chamber- 16 and around their entire traveL.

including the lower portion of their travel where they are subjected tothe' washing action of liquid jets from pipes 86.

Referring to Figures 2 and 6 through 9, there is illustrated a shuffle feed structure of the general type disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent No. 2,792,929, as modified in the patent of Jackson K. Lightfoot, No. 2,738,816.

This structure comprises similar movable sets of independently supported and alternately arranged shuffle members 91 and 92, the shuffle. feed members 91.extending between andbeing bolted to respective similar side plates 93,. only one-0f which is shown, and the members 92 being bolted to and extending between side plates 94. Side plates93 are supported from the frame 22 by suitable parallel linlcs 96, and the side plates 94 are'similarly supported by suitable parallel links 97. The side plates 93 and 94 are driven in substantially straight line oscillatory movement by respective eccentrics 98 and 99, carried by a transverse shaft 101 driven through a chain and sprocket mechanism 102 from the shaft 103. The shaft 103 is suitably connected by a chain and sprocket mechanism 104 to the motor 71.

This drive serves to reciprocate the sets of shuflle feed members in opposite directions so that the side plates 93 and 94 alternately approach and recede from each other, the limits of the motions being indicated respectively in Figures 7 and 10.

As explained in said patent of Jackson K. Lightfoot, each of the article supporting surfaces provided by the respective shuffle members 91 and 92 is provided with a skin-removing structure in the form of a skin-grasping slot, whose opening and closing movementis under control by the reciprocating movement of the movable. feed members.

In the present invention, eachof the shuflie members 91 is provided with respective upper and lower parts 111 and 112, and each of the shufile members 92 has an upper part 113 and a lower part 114. Each of the upper parts 111 of the shuflie members. 91 is carried at each end by a tubular casing or bracket member 120 which is bolted to the adjacent sideplate 93 at 120a, and each of the shuflie feed members 113 has atubular casting 115 secured thereto at each end and bolted to the respective sideplates 94 at 115a, so thatthe upper parts 111 move with the sideplates 93 asa unit, and the upper parts 113 move with the sideplates 94 as a unit. Each of the upper parts 113 and 111 carries thereon a resilient rubber jaw 116 which is secured to the. adjacent part by a plate 117 and suitablescrews. This rubber jaw1l6'has an opening 118 extending entirely there-through and also has'ribs 119, for engaging the fruit.

The lower part 112 of each of the shufile members 91 'is movably carried with respect to the cooperating upper part or jaw member 111 and for this purpose at each end is secured to amounting rod 124 which projects upwardly through a suitable opening in the cooperating upper jaw or part 111 and into and through the hollowcasting 120.

Each rod 124 is threaded at its upper end to receive a thread adjusting nut 126 slidably carried within a sleeve.

insert 127 of the casting 120. A compression. spring 129 is disposed about the rod 124 and between a wall of the casting 120 andthe adjusting nut 126. In this way the adjacent casting 120 or 115 as the case may be.

Each of 'the arms 121 has threaded securely" therein a threaded control member or rod 122 having a loeknut 123, the threaded member 122 being aligned with tthe:

adjacent rod 124.

From the above description it will be apparent that as the sideplates 93 and 94 move to their closed position as illustrated, for example, in Figs. 6 and 7, the control rods 124 associated with the lower parts 112 will be engaged by the threaded :rods '122 of the adjacent castings 115 and move the lower parts or jaws 112 downwardly and thereby keep the lower jaws 112 from following the full upward movement of the associated jaws 116 on the upper parts 111. This serves to open one of the skin removal slots so that a projecting portion of skin from a tomato can be inserted therein. At this same time the arm 121 on each of the castings 120 for the upper parts 111 has moved away from the adjacent casting 115 so that the associated lower jaws or parts 114 can have moved to a slot closing position as illustrated in Figure 6.

When the supporting blades 93 and 94 are furthest apart the opposite condition will obtain as seen, for example, in Fig. 9.

As seen in Figure 7, an article such as a tomato which has been treated in the treating chamber 16, and has projecting skin portions, is positioned adjacent a pair of members 111 and 112 for grasping and removal of a part of the skin. In this condition of the parts, while the set of members 113 and 114 advance to roll the article or tomato across the face of the members 111 and 112, these members move to closed position, this being permitted by the control of member 113 over the springurged movement of adjacent 112, so that the jaws 116 and 131, close to grasp any projecting portion of skin as seen in Figure 8. The subsequent retraction of the members 111 and 112 and advance of adjacent members 113 and 114, as shown in Figure 9, transfer the tomatoes from one trough to the adjacent trough and thereby efiect a rolling-stripping action of the tomato with respect to its skin. In eliect, the tomato is rolled out of its skin.

In general in operation, the tomatoes are fed from a conventional conveyor 136 (Figure 2) onto the shuflie feed 76, where they are subjected to water spray from the nozzles 137 and 138, and are ultimately transferred across the feed ramp 139 to the troughs formed by the rolls 34 of the reel 36. These rolls cause a rolling and shifting action of the tomatoes as they pass through the treating chamber and are subjected to the hot gaseous peeling medium which conditions and partially or wholly strips the skin or peel from the totmatoes.

An enhanced uniform distribution of the treating medium within the plenum and treating chambers is obtained by the vane arrangement in the plenum chamber 13 and in the combustion chamber leading thereto. These vanes serve to guide and direct the treating me dium during its travel through the combustion chamber and through the plenum chamber so that the desired high velocity of travel of the treating medium will obtain substantially uniformly throughout the plenum chamber and the treating chamber.

At the entrance end to the treating chamber 16 a steam pipe 141 subjects the tomatoes to the action of a curtain of steam which in effect serves to aid in retaining the medium within its circulating path, and at the discharge end of the treating chamber a similar steam pipe 142 is provided to provide a similar curtain at the discharge end. The tomatoes are discharged onto the shuffle-peeling mechanism described above where they progress step-to-step in rows and any unpeeled tomatoes have the projecting portions of the skin grasped and the peel stripped therefrom, finally being discharged over a ramp 143.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent that the invention is capable of variation and modification from the form shown, so that the scope thereof should be limited only by the proper scope of the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In a peeling machine, means providing a substantially closed path of circulation for a hot gaseous treating medium including vmeans forming a treating chamber, a heating means disposed atone portion of the said path for heating the gaseous medium passing therethrough, impelling means for'said medium along another portion of said path, a rotary reel disposed adjacent said treating chamber and including rotary article carrying rolls thereon, a shufile feed mechanism for feeding articles to an ascending portion of said reel immediately ahead of the passage of said rolls into the said chamber, a steam pipe for directing a spray of steam onto said rolls immediately after passing through said chamber, and a peeling mechanism for receiving the discharge of articles from a descending portion of said rolls including a step-by-step feed mechanism and means for stripping peel from tomatoes as they pass along said feed mechanism.

2. In a peeling machine, means providing a substantially closed path of circulation for a hot, gaseous treating medium including a treating chamber, a heating means disposed at one portion of the said path for heating the gaseous medium passing therethrough, impelling means for said medium along another portion of said path, a rotary reel disposed adjacent said treating chamber and including rotary article carrying rolls thereon, means for rotating said rolls, and a peeling mechanism for receiving the discharge of articles from a descending portion of said rolls including a step-by-step feed mechanism and means for stripping peel from tomatoes as they pass along said feed mechanism.

3. In a peeling machine, means providing an endless path of circulation for a treating medium, said path including at one portion means for applying heat to the treating medium and at another portion means for applying an impelling force to the treating medium, said path forming means also including means forming a treating chamber having entrance and discharge ends of substantially arcuate shape, a rotary reel disposed adjacent said treating chamber, trunnions supporting said reel at the lower portion thereof to provide for rotation thereof, a series of baflies at the entrance end of said treating chamber disposed to direct the treating medium substantially radially of said reel, a stationary ring gear disposed coaxially with said reel, and article supporting and moving rolls extending across said reel, said rolls having gears engaging said ring gear for rotation of said rolls during travel thereof.

4. In a peeling machine, means providing a treating chamber, an article conveyor having a portion passing through said treating chamber and comprising a reel carrying a peripheral series of rotatable article supporting rolls extending thereacross, means mounting said reel for rotation, said reel being disposed to position certain of said rolls to form in part the lower side of said treating chamber, means providing a substantially closed path of circulation for a treating medium including said treating chamber, a medium impelling mechanism disposed in one portion of said path having an intake end in operative connecting relation to the interior of said reel and having a discharge end operatively connected to said treating chamber from the upper side thereof, and medium heating means disposed in another portion of said path, said path providing means being formed in part by a U-shaped wall projecting into the interior of said reel with its open side disposed adjacent the rolls forming the lower side of said treating chamber, means providing an exit opening for said medium leading from one side of said U-shaped member, and a U-shaped downwardly opening baflle mounted within said wall for controlling the flow of air from said treating chamber through said U-shaped wall to said opening.

5. In a peeling machine as recited in claim 4, in which respective spray means are provided along the lower edges of said downwardly opening baffle and directed 7 8 toward said U-shaped wall to clean the treating medium 2,218,466' Gray: et a1. Oct; 15, 1940 passingtherethrough. 2,301,249 Butterworth et a1 Nov; 10, 1942 2,383,268 Morgan ,Aug. 21,1945 ReferencesCited-in the file of this patent 2,515,025: Vahlet a1 Ink/11,1950

1 2,677,197 Lindgren- May4-,-1-954 776197 STATES PATENT; 29 1904 2,835,047 Fleissner et' a1; May 20, 1958 1s e 0v. 1,339,260 H'urxthal May 4, 1920 OTHER REFERENCES 1,715,830 Glinka June 4, 1929 Peeling by Hot Air-Blast, in, Food' Engineering, 2,189,915 Mellor et a1 Feb. 13, 1940 10 February 1955, pp.- 68and 69. 

